Meguro Drum Bridge and Sunset Hill

Hiroshige evokes a sense of silence and beauty in this magnificent snowscape. Three lone figures cross a stone drum bridge as billowing snow accumulates in the valley and on the tree branches. The scene depicts the valley of the Meguro River, the main route to the shrine of Meguro Fudo. The road on the left would have led to a steep slope known as Gyoninzaka, named after a wandering ascetic (gyonin) who founded the temple of Daienji on the side of the hill. The Sunset Hill of the title is shown at the upper left and was once known for its brilliant maple trees.